NPC Meme
A format that overlays a stock "NPC" character face on footage of someone repeating a script — used to mock people (or commentators) who say the same scripted lines everyone else does. Refers to non-player characters in video games who follow pre-written dialogue trees.
Meme metadata
Origin, scale, and known variants for this meme template.
About this entry
The original 2018 form was a Wojak-style character labeled "NPC." The format crossed into TikTok video in 2020 when creators started overlaying NPC faces on footage of cable-news commentators and social-media creators who recite the same lines.
When to use
- Calling out scripted / scripted-feeling commentary.
When not to use
- Anything targeting a real person's lack of authenticity — the meme can be weaponized to silence dissent.
Cultural notes
The meme has a complicated political edge — it has been used both by left-coded creators (mocking centrist commentators) and right-coded creators (mocking progressive activists). Read it as the writer intends before deploying.
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